A World Remixed

world dance // latin chill // flamenco remixed

Today I’ve got a pair of worldly remixes featured as part of National Geographic Music’s new presence at the most-excellent Calabash Music. (Entirely DRM-free mp3s, natch). The Nortec Collective used to get press from Time and the sort; they’re a large group of Latin Americans that mash together some energetic panamerican beats. Most of their stuff comes off as repetitive to me, but Rosco tempers their excitement into a chill downtempo groove. (One which deserves a spot in the next Nip/Tuck episode.) Then in the second track, Ojos de Brujo’s hip hop flamenco meets Nitin Sawhney’s asian underground treatment.

I came across it some months ago, and annoyed I hadn’t done so before. Great music, a happy style and just plain fun. Ojos De Brujo I have seen live, but they get on my nerves eventually. Quickly an overdose is reached.

Will leave for Granada tomorrow and hope to catch up on some fusion/flamenco/indie/local stuff there, as a local venue is just downstairs from where I’m staying. Should get interesting!

I miss Granada. The music scene there was unbelievable. It was a few years ago so I can’t give you specifics but I remember a kind of lookout point near a fountain at the top of a big hill where you could see La Alhambra dead on and these old and young guys used to come play flamenco every night, practically. They’d just sit on the wall, strum their guitars, and belt out the rawest and realest music I’ve ever heard.

Cool mix from Rosco for this Nortec tune. I kinda like them, in fact this collective comes from Tijuana Mexico, and they’ve done some interesting stuff recently, most of all it’s cool how they mix several regional styles (banda, norteÃ±o) into one unique sound.